


The ones that forget

by ectocosme



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alien Shenanigans, Angst, M/M, Mission Fic, What Was I Thinking?, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 23:23:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5762929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ectocosme/pseuds/ectocosme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The <i>Enterprise</i> crew was used to strange events and encounters but not even Bones and his legendary running imagination about disasters could have predicted the way this mission turned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The ones that forget

°

“Captain,” saluted Spock in the transporter room.

Jim grinned widely recognising the special tone of the half-vulcan. He was giving up for today to prevent Jim from beaming down with him - which was against Starfleet’s rules - but hadn’t abandoned the war.

“Mr. Spock,” the Captain turned then nodded to the rest of the landing party. “Ready for a lungful of fresh air ?”

Jim was right about the lungful of fresh air as a cold wind ruffled them when they rematerialised on planet’s ground. Jim laughed as Lieutenant Newman struggled against her long hair that she put in a bun. Just after Jim turned to Spock standing straight as always despite the wind and his ruffled hair. Which was kind of cute.

Spock looked away from his tricorder and crossed eyes with Jim. His smile only grew bigger.

“I am true when I say the weather is brightening your mood ?” asked Spock approaching.

“Yep !” said Jim bouncing on his heels, his face offered to the wind. “The _Enterprise_ is everything to me but I miss fresh air, wind and the smell of the flora.”

“The artificial air is thought to imitate faint air currents. I suggest more visits to the botanical parts of the ship for your deficiency in plant odor,” answered Spock glancing warmly to the simple joy the Captain experienced.

“Nothing can replace this combination made on planet,” sighed Jim surveying his people wandering off, lost in thoughts and discoveries or talking excitedly with the security officers following them.

“Captain !” called Lieutenant Newman with a hint of urgency a redshirt looking above her shoulder on this thing that captured the woman’s attention.

The two commandant officers approached, Jim nodding to her to expose the problem.

“My captors are scrambled by a magnetic field near us,” she handed her device to Spock. “I really doubt it to be natural, it’s gathered in a very restricted zone. Strange thing since the _Enterprise_ captors didn’t catch anything on planet.”

“Time for action !” smiled Jim his hand already to his phaser, “Everyone stay prudent, Mr. Spock which distance is the field ?“

“Ninety nine metres.”

“Lead the way Mister,” exclaimed the Captain.

Lieutenant Newman peered over the Commander to ask about his hypothesis for the source of the interference but otherwise they walked in silence. Jim found himself caught between two security officers, he smiled to himself knowing perfectly it wasn’t hasard. He wanted to made a comment about his capacity to protect himself but thought better of it at the last seconds, Lieutenant Giotto hadn’t been very receptive of his thoughts the last time.

“Here !” shouted the redshirt at Jim's left, pointing out a zone surrounded by bushes and climbing plants on a rock wall, “See ? There's a cavity !”

The man carefully put away the bushes that blocked the view. They could see a door made of a matter that blend into the environment. Albeit a glossy tone made it brought out.

Jim approached Spock studying the door, a frown of concentration crossing the half-vulcan's brows. The Captain extended his hand and poked the door with nervousness, half-expecting the thing to blow up at his face.

He still startled violently when the door moved in a ‘woosh’ indicating depressurisation. Kirk would have landed on his butt if he hadn’t been stopped by his firm Officer’s torso and hands. His First Officer’s torso. And his very nice and strong hands.

“Captain,” said Spock, Jim jumped remembering that his Fine First Officer was touch telepath. “Do not touch anything. Please.”

Jim cleared his throat and looked at Spock, expecting a disapproving look as he already had lectured Jim about his wandering thoughts on missions, but there was only concern. Kirk wiped the sticky thing on his hand on his trouser, “Yes, this is logical.”

The Captain fidgeted as he noted his remark could easily being taken badly yet Spock only shoved him gently though firmly from the path in a protecting manner Jim knew perfectly. He often did the same. He sighed but allowed it as he was the one that put himself in danger today. He relaxed as he felt a faint brush against his fingers.

“In positions,” said Jim. “We’re gonna explore but we stay careful. Ensign Beck you stay here, prevent the _Enterprise_ in case something went badly.”

“Aye, sir.”

Spock with the help of a security officer pulled the door open for the remaining part. The Captain kneeled and peered inside, his phaser in hand. It was a corridor faintly illuminated by green lights put at ankle height in a continuous line that reflected on a smoked glass floor. Nothing in the moment indicated native’s presence in the batiment.

They entered with caution, checking that the lights weren’t motion sensors - or lasers. They waited for the door to close itself suddenly, when nothing moved they sighed of relieve and started walking into the poor illuminated place. During the first ten metres Spock noticed the crew the soil was descending at zero point five centimeters by metres. A slight pente invisible for the humans that tensed a little more the group.

“What was the prediction of Doctor McCoy ?” asked suddenly Lieutenant Newman to cut the silence. “Did he rant about a megalomaniac alien specie ? or alien mind manipulators ?”

“Nothing of this kind, he was sure one of us, which translate by James Tiberius Kirk in Bones language, would be bitten by something-not-cool and become mad for a while,” answered Jim happy to be provided a distraction.

_JTK_

The Captain froze on sit, his heart pounding on his head. He blinked then refocused when he heard Lieutenant Newman laughing and commenting on Bones’ infamous predictions.

“There’s still time for you to be bitten,” teased Newman.

“Maybe we’re in a lab ?” proposed Harper tugging on his red shirt. “With lot of creatures that only wait to bite something.”

Kirk snickered and joined the conversation still held in hushed tones. Bones’ wild imagination about the disasters space and planets could offers was a running joke on the _Enterprise_. Along with the little informations Spock had on Earth’s cultures and so the pap people could feed him. As for the gold shirt of the Captain that found itself more ripped, splitted and lacered than all the red shirts combined.

_Presence of subject Number 22-M-2233-JTK_

Jim stumbled on his own feet, he turned over his shoulder and crossed Harper questioning eyes. Jim wetted his lips, “Nothing, thought I heard something.” He resumed his walk with a racing heart, a cold shiver and a disagreeable impression of being watched. He raced to the start of the chain, coming near Spock. The half-vulcan gave him a questioning look too. Jim smiled nervously and shrugged. A soft smile came to him when Spock moved evidently nearer in silent support.

“Seem like it was abandoned,” noted Jim.

“The lights are still working which suggest the inverse,” commented the First Officer.

“Except if there is a long lasting battery powered by solar energy,” continued Jim. “The planet is always under the wind so I’m sure the solar apport is regular.”

“The place is clean of any ornaments or panels,” noted Newman.

“They may be are a specie focused on efficiency rather than aesthetics,” said Spock glancing meaningly at Jim.

Jim snickered, it looked like Spock still ressented the comment he made on the significant majority of emotionally driven species in regard of logical oriented ones. Like is comment would deny the functionalty of the vulcan's way.

“There is no trace of dust,” commented Spock. “The atmosphere is ventilated as it is not smelling musty but rather a distinct odor many cleaner products have.”

“Lemon-y ?” asked Jim sniffing the air.

“Thought it was Alana's perfume,” noted Yahnke in the front.

“It isn't my perfume, it's the sort of citrus in botanical garden 4,” said Newman.

“You spent a lot of time there for smelling like it.”

“Obviously, Yahnke, my actual boyfriend work there,” she hissed. “I'm aren't with you anymore.”

The man was going to respond but Jim cut him, a little surprised that the two start an argument during a mission. It was odd for his crew.

“Alright guys ! Don't make me put back the olds limitations on fraternization only for you two,” he paused glancing to them. “You work professionally or I send the both of you away.”

“Aye, Captain,” they responded in unison.

The silence stretched for some seconds but Jim was too tense to stay like that. He crossed eyes with Spock, “Maybe like in the _Enterprise_ they had robots that clean the ground. And now work with the energy from the working battery left.”

Spock lifted a brow, “This is a plausible hypothesis.”

Jim smiled as he heard Lieutenant Newman muttering about them loving debates. He knocked his shoulder against Spock before stealing a vulcan-kiss that made the half-vulcan blush faintly. A difficult thing to remark with the green light but the Captain was an expert in nuance of Spock’s colors of cheeks.

_Engaging deprogramation procedure_

“Captain ?” called Spock seeing Jim stiffening, his eyes lost somewhere over his shoulder, “Jim ?”

The Captain turned his head to Spock and smiled, an hesitant, dreadful smile. Spock moved closer from him, feeling the uneasiness the man was projecting.

“You are not indispensable to the exploration, Captain,” reminded the half-vulcan his piercing eyes glued to all signs of nervousness from the Captain. Those words weren't to dismiss Jim's capacity but to offer him an exit.

“I’m alright.”

The First Officer kept his mouth shut despite the fact he knew perfectly well his friend and lover wasn’t alright, he was reacting as if they were in a threatening situation. Inferring it was another of Jim’s 'gut feelings' he settled to only observe the man for the moment since the Captain would prevent him if he felt the danger was real. Though, Spock did move with more alertness even in the linear corridor.

For exactly four point seven minutes they walked in a silence only broken by breaths ands the tap-tap of regulation boots on the shining ground.

At least for five of the six landers.

Kirk heard faint noises and words but as he observed his stoïc First Officer he knew he was the only one affected. Maybe even imagining those sounds. The place was creeping him out. And if Jim read his Spock good the half-vulcan had picked up his state and reacted by being more prudent than necessary and glancing at him as he would disappear. For proof he had traded his tricorder for his phaser. A thing the scientist only did when assuming there was a huge probability they were in danger.

“Captain, the corridor his becoming larger,” noted Spock which indicated they were arriving to a new environment.

The leader of the chain of people grumbled he hadn't remarked and drew his phaser in position for a possible shot. He glanced at the Captain and the First Officer then resumed their advance. Spock wasn't the only one having caught the Captain tension, or Jim hadn't being as alone as he thought about the whispers.

They landed on a semi-circular room, the linear part before them, with an arch opening on another room entirely circular. The walls were still smooth from any panels or holes. They only sheltered the green lights.

The redshirt Yahnke entered the circular room with fluid movements but tension clear in the set his shoulders. He made the perimeters of the zone before returning to the command officers.

“There's nothing more, it's a dead-end,” he announced dumbfounded. He waved on his foots, looking lost. It was quite strange to see the determined man so passive.

“The data show the field come from around here,” noted Newman massaging her forehead. “N-nothing more precise.”

Jim hummed in acknowledgement and put a hand against the wall at his right, quitting the corridor he went along the wall under his people's eyes.

“A hidden door, Captain?” asked spock, “or hidden panels.”

“That's the only solution I thought. Why having a empty corridor ending in a empty room ? This is … “

“... illogical, indeed,” finished Spock making Jim smile widely.

He paused just at the entrance of the end-room, his ears were filled with annoying statics. He was glad he had his hand already against the wall when his vision turned black around the edges. Jim liked his lips as it could chase his anxiety.

“We have seen a hall without door at first glance on Pruvi II,” said Jim. And the Pruvian weren't very advanced technologically, they were rock chisellers.

Jim advanced from two steps. A sharp pain ran from his hand through his arm. He yelped, staggering away from the wall. He realised too late he was now in the center of the room. Jim turned to Spock wearing his eyes-of-panic as he strode toward him.

“Captain !” exclaimed Spock as he extended his arm toward the man. The glass wall falling at high velocity took them by surprise. The gritting teeth sound of broken bones resonated in the cold place.

To counterbalance the force of the glass pulling him toward the ground Spock shifted all his mass backward. He ended stumbling backward clumsily. All under Jim's horrified eyes. The human strode toward the glass, more worried for his companion than him.

Spock clutched at his broken wrist, a hiss on the edge of his lips. Somewhere in his mind dazed by pain he realised that, had he been forty centimetres nearer Jim, he would be dead. Or dying under the panel.

“Spock !” yelled Jim pounding on the glass blocking him. “You okay ?”

He slapped himself mentally for the stupid question, he perfectly heard the sound and knew the sensibility of Vulcans on this area. He winced with sympathy when Spock released his wrist and approached the glass anew. Worry paint clear for anyone knowing Spock enough.

The others were frantic, Newman was tapping furiously her tricorder for anything that could help in her data, Harper and Yahnke were searching a crack in the connection of the glass panel and the wall, trying their best to found a solution to save their Captain.

A guttural voice filled the room and the translators soon activated.

“ _Procedure of deactivation for subject 22-M-2233-JTK enclanched._ ”

The humans and only vulcan stood still, puzzled and a little frightened.

“What in hell ?!” fumed Jim. The same green lights in his circular prison changed for a dark red. Which was worrisome.

“Commander, Captain, down now !” shooted Yahnke.

They just plunged to the ground as two phaser shots hit the glass. The atmosphere was charged with smoke for a few seconds before clearing itself. Jim stood, his heart racing in anticipation. He passed his hand over the glass and swallowed his deception as his fingers reached only smooth plane. Lifting his head he crossed Spock’s somber expression.

“ _Please, do not disturb the processus_.”

“You are attacking a Starfleet Captain, desist your attempt before consequences fall on you,” said Spock in a tone more rushed than normal.

“ _This James Kirk alias subject number 22-M-2233-JTK is a bioengineered humanoïd created for the sole purpose of fulfilling the role of the real James Tiberius Kirk, deceased during the Kelvin's attack._ ”

“James Kirk did not die this day,” stated Spock. The current event was surreal.

“ _He died_ ,” stated the person by the speakers. “ _Letting a space and a role in the continuum, important enough to be artificially filled. His death was of great consequences. Without him and his actions the current dimension would be doomed. We created a clone to fill his space, to heal the cratch in space-time. James Tiberius Kirk is not real, it  is a device with a purpose._ ”

Spock felt hazy and unsteady on his feets. He swallowed, forcing his mind to reoperate at his full capacity, ignoring for the moment what caused the lethargic state of his cognitive functions.

“No !” yelled the trapped Captain, punching the glass without consequences except for his bruised hands. “That bullshit ! I'm me, I’m totally real ! The original !”

“ _Now that the veil of our reality is stabilised the continued existence of the clone is no longer necessary. In fact it could be detrimental for our continued survival._ ”

Jim felt sick, detrimental to others survival. It remembered him a time in his youth he hated. He kicked the glass, “No, no, don't listen. I'm real, I'm Jim.”

“Even,” started Spock is mouth furred, he did not - did not want - to believe the clone theory but he thought he as a way to convince the people to stop their procedure, “The clone had a conscience. To destruct him is immoral.”

“ _A clone is a hollow shell before being coded genetically and psychologically but it have expiry date. The programmed personality is falling apart.”_

A slow hiss escaped Spock. As he tried to remember his past melds with Jim only deficient, pointless thoughts come to him. Did humans lived with this kind of flawed mind everyday ? He shook his head, trying anew to recall if he had found something amiss in Jim’s mind in the past.

“ _To let it live would introduce it to sickness and madness. To deactivate it is the compassionate choice._ ”

“Spock !” yelled Jim his palm pressed against the cold surface. The half-vulcan reached immediately to reflect him.

“We are going to save you,” he assured.

Jim said nothing, looking at Spock he knew they couldn't do anything for him. A dull sentiment of resignation crushed him. He felt a tingle alike of a beaming. The outline of his body was blurred but he didn't felt like he was heading anywhere.

“I'm scared.”

When his own words left his mouth Jim realised they were making a bad reboot of what happened seven months earlier. A chuckle escaped his body, a nervous reaction that threatened to make fall the tears on the ridge of his eyes. Jim took a shaking breath, the panic was numbing his mind.

“Jim,” whispered Spock. Fear reverberating like they were one. Spock suddenly wished they were. He could have been with Jim. He could find the truth. Also, he had so many things to say, so little time. He never thoughts he should have to face a same scenario in such a short period. To be parted again … It was unfair, Spock found himself thinking.

“I'm real,” quivered Jim in fright, his grim face gradually disintegrating. “Believe me.”

“Always,” said Spock, haunted eyes fixed on Jim.

A flash of bright white light swallowed the place and all fell silent.

°

°

“Captain.”

The Captain blinked slowly at the call. His mind felt strangely heavy.

“Captain,” called anew the Commander, worry discernible in his stance.

“Yes, Commander ?”

“Are you alright ?”

The Captain nearly sighed, he felt like something tried to crunch his lungs. He glanced to Sulu and Checov examining him then glancing meaningly at each others, partaking in a silent conversation. His heart clenched painfully, what would he give for the same kind of relationship with another being ?

He might have took too much time to answer as his First Officer talked again.

“Captain, are you crying ?”

The Captain froze, he held his hand to his face then retired it. His cheeks were actually wet with tears.

“I …” he started, turning to his First Officer. Sulu was looking expectantly at him.

Spock looked at his hand. He felt … wrong. He was not capable of explaining his current state. It was like he just realised he missed something that was a big part of his life, “I am unable- …”

He paused again feeling all his control slip for no clear reason. He had not been under massive stress, in fact the last mission did go perfectly albeit for a crumbling that broke his wrist as he protected the Lieutenant Newman from debris.

The bone crushing pain in his mind reverberating in his body made him bend over himself, his breath caught.

 _Something is wrong_ , he thought.

But logically, there was nothing that could explain his trouble. And so the Captain recovered his control and ordered the depart for their next mission leaving the uninteresting planet behind them.

°

 

**Author's Note:**

> ⚆ _ ⚆ *whisper* what I have done ?  
> 
> 
> I don't have a beta sooo ... sorry if there are mistakes. Please, tell me if you found some. 
> 
> (isn't has been already done ? don't remember)


End file.
